Cons: Not meant for gaming, not the latest hardware, loud fans, trackpad prone to accidental touch

Most laptops tend to look rather similar don't they? The Avita range was launched in January 2019 by a company called Nexstgo. They're hoping that the youth (or anyone who wants something that stands out) will like this multi-colour range. The company also did a design update in March 2019 with several new designs to choose from.

It becomes obvious that style is the key factor when it comes to Avita's Liber 14. Colour options include white, green, lilac, yellow and orange. If you still want more, you can choose one of the patterned top-lids. There are many options and it really makes the laptop stand out from the usual crowd. Our review unit was the Batik in Champagne Gold variant (picture above) which will instantly catch the attention of anyone passing by. It's true that you can get a skin for most laptops, but the Avita Liber pattern is a much better quality than most skins.

Innovations We Need To See More Of: Screenpads In Laptops, Bluetooth Dual-Audio

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Time For A Change

15 Apr, 2019

It’s natural for premium consumer products to get a standout feature — brands use these features for differentiation. Some recent innovations are actually quite useful apart from being the first of their kind. Karan Bajaj talks about five such technologies that need to be the norm rather than the exception.

​Wireless Desktop Mode

15 Apr, 2019

Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro, which launched just a few months ago in India, has a feature called Easy Projection. This feature lets you project your phone screen to a larger screen (like a TV or projector) without any wires. It also offers the option to use it in phone mode or desktop mode. In phone mode, it simply mirrors your smartphone’s screen but the desktop mode is what makes this feature more interesting. With desktop mode enabled, the phone’s screen becomes a touchpad and you can even connect a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse for navigation. The interface is like what you would see on a desktop computer with an option to launch apps, change desktop wallpaper and manage your files. The best part: you can still use your phone independently as a smartphone while it powers a desktop experience wirelessly.

Ultrasonic Buttons

15 Apr, 2019

This feature is present only on gaming smartphones like the Asus ROG phone or the Red Magic Mars from Nubia. Ultrasonic touch sensors are typically placed on the sides of a phone and let you to map dedicated functions to each touch sensor. This is useful for gamers who can have one sensor assigned to shoot while the other sensor can be assigned to jump. Not only does it make gaming easier, it also adds a significant advantage. Touch sensors can be used for functions apart than gaming also. For instance, adjusting values in camera manual mode, playback controls for multimedia or to insert a favourite emoji/text while using the on-screen keyboard.

​Fast Wireless Charging

15 Apr, 2019

Wireless charging offers a lot of convenience but it’s also a lot slower compared to a typical wired charger. With charging technologies getting better (DashCharge on OnePlus, Quick Charge on Qualcomm phones, Huawei Quick Charge, Vooc charging on Oppo) wireless charging seems to be on the back burner despite the convenience. The technology to wirelessly fast charge has been available, notably on the Google Pixel and Pixel Stand and on the Samsung S10 range with Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. Both phones support wireless charging at 10 watts which means it will charge at a similar speed as a conventional wired charger.

Bluetooth Dual Audio

15 Apr, 2019

This is a feature that is theoretically available on all devices with Bluetooth version 5.0. With this feature, you can have your device (phone/tablet/laptop) stream wireless audio to two connected speakers at the same time. Both the Bluetooth speakers need not be the same. Considering Samsung introduced this feature two years ago on the Galaxy S8, we think it’s high time it became the norm. There are several third party apps that can add this functionality to phones but none are as slick as having the same built into the Bluetooth settings.

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In terms of build quality, the sleek aluminum body feels sturdy and good to touch. At 1.49kg, the weight is just right for a 14-inch device - it's easy to carry around making it ideal for students. You get all the usual ports including a USB Type-C with PD 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0 ports. We found it odd that the proprietary charger did not completely fit inside the connector on the laptop. Although there is no issue with charging, it is a design flaw that we could not overlook.

It has a 14-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The display impressed us with wide viewing angles, rich colours and excellent brightness levels. It does not have the slim bezels that we find on many new laptops today but it's not a deal breaker in our opinion. You get an island style backlit keyboard which we found comfortable and ergonomic for long hours of typing. The trackpad is big and covers almost two-thirds of the palmrest. While having a large trackpad seemed like a good option initially, it was often the cause for accidental taps while typing.

Hardware is one area where a lot of consumers could have concerns. The Liber 14 has a 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM and 256GB SSD. We found that the configuration delivers top-notch performance in day-to-day usage as well as photo editing using Adobe Lightroom. We were even able to play PUBG on the laptop using the Tencent emulator albeit on low graphics settings. The problem is that the hardware is a generation older. You can get 8th generation Intel processor and DDR4 RAM for about the same price. As for the battery, we were able to get between 6-7 hours with normal use (the company claims 10-hours though). The battery life is not bad considering the compact size, but it does not live up to the claims.

Another advantage of the Avita Liber 14 is the price. It is one of the cheapest options with a lightweight body, 14-inch full HD display and SSD storage for fast performance. For about the same price, you can get the Acer Swift 3 with an 8th gen Core i5 processor, 14-inch full HD display, sleek design and 12 hour claimed battery life (but it has 4GB DDR4 RAM). If you can spend Rs 62,990, why not get the Asus Vivobook that offers a 8th Gen Core i5, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD storage, fingerprint scanner and a 14-inch full HD display with nano-edge bezels.

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